The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX will be responsible for getting the space probe launched onboard a Falcon Heavy. US-based space agency NASA wrote in a statement: “The Psyche mission will journey to a unique metal-rich asteroid, also named Psyche, which orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.

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However, it would be impractically expensive to return the bounty to Earth with current-generation tech.

NASA’s incentive, though, is to instead retrieve new data about Psyche to help explain the solar system’s early history.

Astronomers believe studying this new asteroid will provide new clues about how terrestrial planets like Earth form, according to a statement from NASA.

NASA officials said in the statement: “The asteroid is considered unique, as it appears to largely be made of the exposed nickel-iron core of an early planet — one of the building blocks of our solar system.”

NASA news: The probe will be loaded with equipment to investigate the asteroid’s composition (Image: Express)

Rocky, terrestrial planets such as Earth are believed to have a metallic core. However, it is difficult to observe or measure a planet’s core directly because it lies far below a planet’s mantle and crust.

By studying this unique asteroid up close, scientists hope to better understand the violent history of collisions and accretion that created terrestrial planets, according to the statement.

Telescope observations suggest asteroid Psyche is primarily made up of nickel and iron.

But experts believe the space rock could also contain precious metals such as gold and platinum, which may be worth thousands of billions of pounds.